Change Your Image
patnclaire
Reviews
The Carpetbaggers (1964)
Jonas Cord Jr is a caricature of Howard Hughes Jr.
The previous reviewers who noticed a resemblance between Jonas and Howard are correct. In fact when the novel came out, Hughes tried to buy the rights so as to bury them. When the movie was being filmed, Hughes had the daily Rushes screened so as to either veto them or accept them. Those which he vetoed were re-shot. He wanted Jonas different from himself. Hughes was an only child. Hughes was, from all accounts, a tea-totaler. He never smoked. He married Ella Rice (Rice University, Texas) and divorced her. He married Jean Peters and divorced her. He married Terrie Moore and died. He never went back to any of his old flames, unlike the movie. Whether or not the old actors like William S Hart were like Nevada Smith is up to you. He would have met the real Wyatt Earp during movie making although it is never reported. He did pal around with Cary Grant, and never did get over Katherine Hepburn. Some where among all the young starlets, he is rumored to have contracted Syphilis but to my knowledge, it was never confirmed officially in the autopsy. Hughes is to be admired for his genius and achievements and to be pitied for his self-imposed asylum confinement in hotel suites. His money did make Los Vegas casinos respectable. His money did fund Hughes Medical Institute which still does medical research. He saw the coming of cable TV, although his underlings torpedoed his investment in that. Personally, I think that he did meet Melvin Dumar on a dark road in Nevada. Associates must have "done him wrong" early on because he never seems to trust anyone but himself. Had he trusted any of his wives, and he may have been salvaged instead of savaged. The movie is sheer entertainment.
10,000 BC (2008)
What if the history we learned was wrong?
I liked the movie. Some earlier IMDb critics panned it but what do they know? The dialog could have been... The plot could have been... the actors could have been... Coulda
woulda
shoulda!!! Well write a script of your own, get the financing, hire the actors, produce the sets and film it...What's a matter? Can't do that? Well then be cool. Just before the movie debuted, we get a Discovery Channel program that says that blue eyes came from the Caucus about 10-15,000 BC. The idea that the Sphinx was carved in 10,000 BC supports this story line, nicely. The innovative idea that the ancients used Mammoths to move the cyclopean blocks was intriguing. Setting up the antagonist as a fugitive from Atlantis was good. New Flash! Unless you've gone to Area 51 and time traveled you do not know how these people lived with great detail. There are indications that Tribes, like Amer-Indians, consisted of 100-200 people. That would be 25-50 adult hunters. Remember child mortality. Someone with blue eyes is still regarded with some fascination, even today let alone 10,000 years ago. I have studied history for 40 years and thought I'd seen it all. But the only thing that I can say with certainty is that we are in for more surprises about how the ancients lived and their accomplishments. Someone had to build Baalbek and Tiahuanaco. Who were the Red-haired large Caucasians in China in 3,000 BC spoken about on National Geographic? Keep an open mind! Only "old fogies" like me are supposed to be closed-minded and wrapped up in our own Pride. When I was in history in the 1960s, we were taught that the Chinese did pictograph writing and gun powder, etc but nothing like what the History Channel has been releasing this year about how advanced they were technologically. So, you see, you don't know it all about what happened then and you can't until you either time travel or dig it up.
The Equalizer (1985)
A View to a Cold War Relic
I have seen all the episodes at least 3 times; first on CBS, then USA, and then on A&E. Now it is on Hallmark.
Like other reviewers, I found the show refreshing and unique. I thought the choice of Edward Woodward was curious (a Brit for a Yank?)But I was willing to let it slide through.
Robert Lansing's portrayal as a District or Station Chief was well cast. Like most American TV series, it takes a season or two to become really good. The show had good writing, good actors and actresses, and good cinematography. I think that it was one of the best series produced.
The Robert McCall character had the potential of becoming a cardboard character. Woodward's acting skills prevented that, thank God. I found the premise of a disillusioned CIA Case Officer to be believable. The look-and-feel of McCall reminded me of the legendary William King Harvey of Indianapolis. It is uncanny.
I found the story line of internal CIA `political' struggles to be realistic. Remember, this was just after the infamous Senator Frank Church Commission which effectively gutted the CIA. We built the CIA to prevent any more Pearl Harbors. Then through internal political dissention (and ideology sympathy) we made it a Hollow, blind Man. Many veteran Case Officers were `forced out' at that time.
In the Army I made the acquaintance of some Mickey Kostmayer types. I liked the acting of Keith Szarabajka. His naturalness made the character believable according to the real people that I met.
After Woodward's heart attack, I thought that the inclusion of Richard Jordan was well cast. I was sorry to see his character fade out. He was just starting to come into his own.
The technical aspects were, at the time, quite startling. The `Trade Craft' was superb. I never did learn if the writers had access to old Case Officers or not. There is one scene where McCall tracks down someone using recorded voices from the telephone system. The NSA must have had fits over that one.
I have several favorite episodes, but one of two that stands out in my mind is where McCall is trying to teach street punks about what death is all about. He takes them to a morgue to see a stiff. While there, he introduces them to an old colleague who tells them about Hell. It was quite chilling, but very accurate.
The other episode is where he is trapped in a wedding reception as a hostage. The techniques and tactics that McCall used were very real. It should be required viewing for future operatives. Like other reviewers, I was sorry to see it cancelled. I felt that it had a few more seasons left.
One of the other reviewers mentions that the Equalizer replacement was Wiseguy. Interesting that, like the Equalizer, Wiseguy was modeled after a real person (Donnie Brasko) and a real situation. Yes, very interesting.